Mysteries of Palmetto
by Landon Reyes
Summary: Follow the adventures of Ike, Cole, and Kylie in the unique Palmetto region as they pursue their passionate dreams of becoming Pokémon Masters. But beautiful Palmetto hides secrets as ancient as the land itself, and something sinister wishes to exploit them. Come jump into a unique story in a new world with a fresh perspective on the Pokémon universe.
1. The Trainer's Test!

Author's Note: This will be an ongoing work. I hope to add to this story chapter by chapter as I go, so I suggest using the follow feature to stay up-to-date, especially in case of a longer or unforeseen absence on my part. Also, while I realize the region in this story has its similarities to Alola (a tropical/subtropical archipelago), the fact is that I had written this (at least the first chapter) a good year before that game was even announced, so I hope there's no confusion there. That said, the first chapter is an example of an older writing style, so hopefully y'all can expect some stylistic improvements with the coming chapters.

This story takes place in a new region, with new characters, with the same Pokémon we've come to know and love. Expect a heavier proportion of Gens I-IV appearing here, as I haven't played Black/White or Sun/Moon. (Though I did play X/Y).

I have rated the story as T as I intend to include some coarse (though not profane/vulgar) language and there may be themes of violence (though nothing too over-the-top).

Without further formalities, I hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Trainer's Test!

It was a humid, rainy evening on the southern coast of the Palmetto region. The quiet suburb of Thalassa slept peacefully in the darkness, lulled by the constant crashing of the nearby waves. Most of the lights in the houses were out, since it was nearly midnight, but the solitary light coming from one certain bedroom window still blazed brightly, illuminating the night like a lighthouse.

Inside the room, a boy of about sixteen years of age was sitting at his desk, hunched over a textbook. Occasionally he would stop to stretch his arms, check the clock with a sigh and delve back into his reading. He was trying hard to maintain his focus, but his stomach was filled with distracting butterflies and his mind with anxious thoughts.

"Sunny Day…" he muttered to himself. "Okay, I know it increases the power of Fire-type moves and decreases Water-type moves by fifty percent… Synthesis, Morning Sun, and Moonlight recover two-thirds of the user's health… Solar Beam can be executed in one turn…"

He stared at the textbook for a few more seconds before groaning and flipping the book shut.

"I don't know how I'm going to remember all this stuff…" he grumbled. He rubbed his temples tiredly before standing up and switching off his desk lamp. Sighing, he moved over to his bed, deciding that sleep would hopefully solidify this information in his memory. He tried to get comfortable underneath the covers despite the uneasiness that was plaguing his mind. Eventually, however, after nearly an hour of restless tossing and turning, the boy's movements gradually slowed down and he fell into a deep sleep listening to the rain patter against his window.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Palmetto Pokémon League Champion… Ike Karamann!"

The roar of the crowd was deafening and the lights blinding.

"Going up against a very special guest to our region, the Champion of chilly Sinnoh: Cynthia!"

More screaming, shouting, and applause pulsated throughout the stadium.

Cynthia stood off in the distance, looking as mysterious and captivating as always.

"Let the battle begin!"

Cynthia, without missing a beat, reached for a Poké Ball.

"Go, Garchomp!"

The sixteen year old boy standing at the opposite end of the stadium also reached for a Poké Ball.

"Go, Heliolisk!"

The peppy, yellow lizard emerged from its ball and danced around, demonstrating not a single trace of fear in front of the dark blue, bipedal land-shark that had appeared from Cynthia's Poké Ball. A cocky smile cracked on Ike's lips as he quickly formulated a strategy in his head. He'd have the advantage of speed, and his Heliolisk had a move that would be helpful against this Garchomp.

"Quick, use Dragon Tail!" he shouted. The fearless lizard darted forward with its attack, its tail pulsating with energy, but Cynthia's Garchomp managed to avoid jump out of the way at the last moment. Ike grit his teeth as the Heliolisk returned to Ike's side again, also looking exasperated.

"Garchomp, use Sunny Day!" shouted Cynthia.

Immediately the sun's rays intensified and the temperature rose by almost ten degrees. Ike wiped some sweat off his brow but shook his head.

"What good will that do you…?" he asked, confused. But a small smile played on Cynthia's lips. Ike desperately tried to think how this would be advantageous for her. Did Garchomp know any powerful Fire-type moves? Can it learn Solar Beam? Maybe she did it to lower the accuracy of Heliolisk's Thunder move…? No, Garchomp was immune to Electric-type moves anyway…

"Lisk…"

Ike was pulled from his thoughts and immediately turned to see his Heliolisk beginning to lose strength. It staggered, struggling to stay on its feet.

"What?" Ike asked. "But how? Your Garchomp didn't even touch him!"

Then it hit him. With a profound sense of dread he realized his idiotic mistake.

"No! I forgot! Sunny Day harms any Pokémon with Dry Skin!" He grabbed his head and the scene before him began to distort and fall apart—Cynthia, the Garchomp, Heliolisk, and the stadium slowly began to fade into oblivion.

* * *

With a yelp, Ike sat bolt upright in his bed. His forehead was dampened with sweat and his heart was beating like a drum. He was breathing heavily and had to take a few moments to differentiate between dream and reality. He shook his head in frustration, partially because he wasn't the Pokémon League Champion, but mostly because he had a dream that reminded him of how unprepared he was for the Trainer's Test…

"The Trainer's Test!"

Ike glanced at the clock by his bed, which read half past eight in the morning. A wave of relief washed over him and calmed his racing heart. Thankfully he was too anxious to have slept in. The exam started at 10:00am, so he had plenty of time.

With a shaky breath, his gaze drifted over to the textbook "The Pokémon Master's Ultimate Guide to the Trainer's Test," written by none other than Champion Jackson Kighnan himself. The information contained within was so extensive, Ike often wondered if anyone, even Jackson, had memorized it all. He doubted it.

For a brief moment, he considered cracking the book open. But he stopped himself and concluded cramming wouldn't really do him much good at this point, if anything only cause him even more anxiety. Instead, he simply followed his usual morning routine of showering, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. After pulling on a white T-shirt, khaki pants, and a black zip-up jacket with a hood, he grabbed his backpack (already filled with other changes of clothes if necessary, along with any other commodities he'd need just in case), brushed his messy blond hair, and bounded downstairs.

Mrs. Karamann was in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove and holding a frying pan filled with sizzling egg whites, her typical "healthy" breakfast that she enjoyed to eat nowadays. She had the TV in the living room on at a medium volume, set to the news channel, as she cooked. Since the rising sun was still low in the sky, it flooded the room with bright, white light, reflecting off the marble countertops and the tile flooring in the kitchen. In the corner of the living room, which was next to the kitchen and separated by a small bar-style countertop, Max, the Karamann's pet Mightyena perked up in his bed from the wooden floor when Ike walked into the room.

Ike's mother also heard him enter and she turned around to face him briefly, her bright smile extremely maternal and welcoming. She grabbed the remote that was at her side and lowered the TV's volume so they could talk.

"Good morning, honey," she said to him as she turned back to the frying pan. Her voice was almost singsongy. "Are you ready for your big day? Have you studied?"

Ike sighed and dropped his backpack to the ground, sitting at one of the chairs at the counter.

"Yeah," he answered. "But there's so much to remember…"

Mrs. Karamann merely shrugged.

"Well, Ike, it's a lot like getting your driver's license," she explained, grabbing a plate and scooping the fully cooked whites onto it with a spatula. "You study a lot for the driver's test, and you end up forgetting the unimportant stuff. The most valuable lessons you learn through real experience."

"That's true," Ike nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Plus Dash passed the test, so it can't be that hard!" She laughed a little. "So what would you like for breakfast? I'll make you anything you want."

Ike thought for a moment, and decided he'd like pancakes with some orange juice. As Mrs. Karamann began to prepare it, Max yawned loudly and moved over toward Ike to lie down by his feet. While Ike's mom went along with her cooking, she quizzed him on some basic questions that he'd obviously know the answer to, just to keep everything fresh in his mind.

"What types of attacks are Psychic Pokémon weak to?"

"Dark, Ghost, and Bug."

"And how can you remember that?"

"Because they're common fears."

"Good."

When Ike's mother had finished preparing the pancakes and she placed all the food before him on the counter, which he ate in the span of about five minutes.

"Don't eat too fast!" she told him with a laugh when she noticed him scarfing the pancakes down. "You're gonna get yourself sick!"

Ike took a small break for a sip of the orange juice, after which he let out a big, satisfied "Ahh!"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I'm just a little nervous is all."

"Oh, you'll do fine," Mrs. Karamann assured him.

"But my friends say some people have had to take it twice, even three times."

"The point of the test is to make sure the lab isn't handing out Pokémon to people who are irresponsible. But you're not like that, so I'm sure you'll have no problems at all. Besides, even if you fail, who cares? It took me two times, and your father four!"

"And yet Dash passed his first try," Ike recalled.

"Oh c'mon, he probably cheated. Or he lucked out."

Ike laughed at that and grabbed his now empty plate and began to walk toward the sink, but his mother promptly stopped him.

"Oh, I'll take care of that," she said. She took the plate from him and turned him around. "You should head off already. You don't want to be late to the test." She dropped the plate off in the sink and then reached out and hugged her son tight, almost out of nowhere.

"Mom…" Ike hugged her back halfheartedly, causing her to only squeeze him tighter.

"Mom, are you…?"

A sniffle confirmed what he was about to inquire. Mrs. Karamann finally pulled away from the embrace and smiled at her son, who was now about to overpass her in height. Tears brimmed her eyelids.

"I'm sorry, Ike…" she said with a guilty chuckle, quickly rubbing the tears out. "I promised myself I wouldn't do this, yet here I am. You're just growing up too fast, and as a mother it scares me to death to watch my last little baby boy walk out the door and take his Trainer's Test."

Ike wanted to roll his eyes, but he smiled warmly at her and shouldered his backpack, the movement causing Max to stand up and wag his tail.

"Well, you might have a little longer with me if I end up flunking," he joked, heading for the door.

"Maybe you could fail it on purpose, just for me?" she called to him, and they both laughed.

"We'll have to see about that." Ike opened up the door and stood in the threshold. "I'll be meeting Cole at the station. I'll give you a call after the test."

"Okay, honey! I love you!"

"I love you too. Don't wait up!"

Max got up to follow him, as he always did whenever Ike went somewhere. The friendly Mightyena always knew the way back home, and he often enjoyed accompanying Ike to wherever he went (as long as it was still in town) before wandering back to the house. The two walked out together and Ike shut the door behind them.

* * *

Thalassa was a very quiet beachside town nestled comfortably onto the coast of the Meridian Ocean. While the entirety of Palmetto could be considered relatively warm, with the only exception being its northernmost parts, Thalassa was especially comfortable. The beach and the sides of streets were decorated with tall, shady palm trees and the sea breeze was just enough to cool your skin while in the sun. The sand by the sea was white and the water was so clear you could still see your feet a good ways into the surf.

The town itself was actually quite small, as the area wasn't much of a tourist attraction despite its natural beauty. The downtown was comprised of a small strip of about a half of a mile lined with small shops, kiosks, cafes, and restaurants. Most of the homes were either within walking distance of the coast or perhaps a little farther inland in more organized neighborhoods.

Ike's house was located near the sea, though it wasn't exactly a beachside mansion. It was two stories, with Ike's parents' room on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor, one for him and the other for his older sibling, Dash, who had moved out a few years prior. And now, it was Ike's turn to go on his own journey, and he had every intention of not coming home until he was the new Champion of his region—a dream that he shared with many other kids his age, but was almost impossible to fulfill. After all, in order to become the Champion, one had to challenge and defeat the leaders of all eight off the Palmetto League Gyms, each of whom specialized in a different Pokémon type. The Gyms were scattered all over the region and weren't exactly the easiest to reach, though along the way, Trainers had plenty of opportunities to make their team stronger and stronger by battling other Trainers and meeting new Pokémon. Then, it was off to the Palmetto Pokémon League to challenge the Elite Four. If you managed to defeat all of them, you would face the current Champion, Jackson Kighnan, who had been defending his title for over five years now.

But it would be a while before Ike could even consider going up against Jackson. He hadn't even received his first Pokémon yet, though he was anxious to learn which it will be. In the Palmetto region, teens received their Pokémon after taking the Trainer's Test, which also included a type of personality test used to determine the Pokémon which would be the best fit for each individual. Ike had been studying hard to pass his test on the first try, but rumor was that the test got a little easier each year.

The Trainer's Test would be held in the nearby city of Panterre, which was much larger and a more popular tourist attraction. It was filled with high rises, shopping districts, and a beautiful beach that was often filled with people. There was even a Gym located there. Since the city was so big, it had its own subway system that connected not only central locations in the city, but also branched out to neighboring towns, such as Thalassa.

When Ike arrived at Thalassa's subway station, which was only about a ten minutes' walk from his home, he prompted Max to head back. Max sniffed at him and nuzzled his leg.

"I'll be fine, Max. Wish me luck," Ike told the Mightyena before he turned and bounded off back into town.

"Yo, Ike!"

Ike turned around to see a figure leaning against the wall, in the shade from the bright, spring sunlight. A baseball hat obscured his dark brown eyes before he moved the visor up higher on his head. He had clipped, brown hair, solid facial features, and a big, charismatic smile. He was wearing sandals, tan Bermuda shorts, and a black T-shirt. He emerged from where he had been standing and came up to Ike.

"Hey, Cole," Ike replied as they bumped their fists together as their form of greeting.

Cole Corwin was Ike's neighbor and had been a close friend since childhood. They went to school together and had the same group of friends. They were the only two from their small town who wanted to pursue the dream of being a competitive Pokémon Trainer.

"Are you ready for this Trainer's Test?" Cole asked as the two began to head into the station.

"I was studying until late last night. I had a nightmare about forgetting stuff," Ike laughed.

Ike and Cole both flashed their IDs to the woman at the entrance to the platform. Since they were students, there was no travel fare. They continued up to the platform, just in time for the next train to arrive. They stepped onto the cool, air-conditioned car and took a seat next to each other.

"There's just so much to remember," Cole grimaced. "I'm probably gonna fail."

"If you fail, then we're both failing," Ike said with a shrug.

"Wanna do some last-minute cramming?"

Ike thought for a second, but shook his head.

"Nah, there's nothing new we can possibly learn in a few minutes."

"Eh, I guess you're right."

The train lurched forward and sped northwestward. The ocean was visible in the south, and the terrain changed from light brush, to a small tropical forest, then to light brush again. The land really opened up as they got closer to Panterre. The skyline of beautiful white buildings gleamed on the horizon before the train ducked into a tunnel, heading underground. Lights flashed by quickly as they sped into the city.

The first stop was the Panterre Mall, the second stop was the local Pokémon Center, and finally the third stop was the Pokémon lab. It was the only lab in the region that offered the Trainer's Test, so any prospective Trainer had to get all the way to Panterre in time if they wanted to take it. The test was offered only four times a year to everyone sixteen years or older. Ike and Cole were lucky that they lived so close to the city.

The lab, other than being the place where the Trainer's Test was conducted, was the biggest research hub for learning about Pokémon, their relationship with humans, their origins, and their nature and behavior. All of the investigations were led by Professor Lucille Hawthorne, an older woman with decades of experience with Pokémon training and breeding. It had been her idea to implement the rather innovative system of having a Trainer's Test and personality test to assign Trainers their first Pokémon, instead of restricting them to choosing between only three, as was common in other regions.

When the duo arrived at the stop, the train had become somewhat crowded with other youngsters who had come for the exam. The car's automatic doors slid open and they all emptied out into the small station underneath the lab. Directed by friendly staff, the teenagers proceeded up a flight of stairs and into the main entrance and waiting area of the lab. It had white tile flooring, with wide glass windows lining the walls, where you could look out onto the busy city streets.

The room was filled with Trainers from all over Palmetto, with Ike and Cole from the southernmost town Thalassa, as well as trainers from Ultara, the city of the north. The aspiring Trainers chatted excitedly among one another. Ike and Cole checked in at the main desk, where they received their testing room assignments, which were ordered alphabetically by last name.

"Room 104," Cole read from his slip of paper. Ike's room was 212. The two found a pair of seats next to each other in the middle of the room and they sat down. Everyone around them seemed very excited to finally be getting a Pokémon very soon.

"I want a Happiny!" a girl squealed. "They're just so adorable!"

"I want a Seviper," raved someone else. "They just look so cool!"

The chatter about what types of Pokémon people wanted dominated most conversations. Ike himself wasn't sure what he wanted. He figured that's what the personality assessment was for. Whatever he got would be the best match for him, he supposed. Cole was in the same boat.

"There's a lot of more kids here than I expected," Cole observed. Ike took a look around at his possible future competitors. They all looked as ready as he. It was both unsettling and thrilling at the same time.

Ike continued to observe the different faces in the group of people, when Cole reached over and touched his arm. Ike looked back at him.

"What is it?"

Cole nodded to the left.

"Do you know that girl?"

Ike followed Cole's gaze and saw he was referring to a tall, lithe, and tanned girl standing not too far from them. Her hands played with her hair idly and she seemed to be focusing intently on something outside the window she was standing by.

"No, I don't recognize her. Why?"

Cole shrugged. "She was just staring at you. Look—she's coming this way!"

Ike didn't want to, but he glanced over at her again in time to see that she was in fact making her way toward them. It was too late to look away, so Ike just smiled at her, trying not to be awkward. The girl smiled back, but her eyes twinkled with embarrassment as she stopped in front of them.

"Hi, um…" She stopped and twisted a lock of her dark hair around her finger.

"What's up?" Cole asked, trying to be friendly, but probably intimidating the poor girl.

"I—I was just wondering… I came all the way from Orenton and, well, I came by myself, so I wanted to, you know, meet some new people…" Her eyes were fixated on the tiled floor.

"Well, we can be your friends." Ike beamed at her. She chuckled sheepishly at him, and Cole nodded at her.

"Yeah, the more the merrier," Cole agreed. "You said you were from Orenton?"

The girl nodded.

"Oh, my brother is one of the Trainers at the Gym there," Ike said. "You know Dash Karamann?"

The girl blinked, looking surprised. She studied him closely and seemed to see the resemblance

"Yes," she replied. "I'm…kinda a fan of his."

Ike scoffed. "I never thought the day would come when Dash had a fanbase."

"What's your name, by the way?" Cole spoke up, realizing no one had introduced his or herself properly.

"Oh, it's Kylie. Kylie Morra."

"I'm Cole, and this is my best buddy Ike. We're both from Thalassa."

Kylie looked at them for a second, searching her memory for a town by that name.

"It's kinda a small town," Ike cut in. "Not too far from here. It's not very well-known."

"It doesn't have a Gym, does it?" she asked.

"No it doesn't," Ike replied. "Though it'd be nice if it did."

Cole agreed. Kylie looked like she was about to speak up again but she was interrupted by a voice coming over the loud speaker that was up in one of the corners.

"Good morning, prospective Trainers."

It was Professor Hawthorne speaking; Ike could tell because it sounded like a sweet grandma's voice.

"I hope you all have studied very hard for today's Trainer's Test. Just try not to be too stressed! We have hundreds of excited Pokémon with us at the lab today, very eager to meet their new Trainers. If you pass, you will form a bond with these Pokémon that will last your entire life. I'm so excited for all of you!"

"I guess we're starting soon," Kylie whispered to them.

"Hopefully all of you checked in and received a room number for the test. If you could all orderly proceed to your assigned testing room at this time, we will begin the exam shortly thereafter. Don't be afraid to ask any of the staff for help if you get lost. Thank you all and good luck!"

"What's your room number?" Ike asked Kylie as the commotion of the others heading to their rooms began.

"213," Kylie replied.

Cole got up from his chair and stretched his arms.

"I'm on this floor, I guess," he yawned. "I'll see you two after the test then?"

He grinned when Kylie and Ike both nodded at him. He clapped Ike on the shoulder and gave Kylie a quick wink before heading off with the other kids who were on the first floor.

"I'm in 212, so we'll be right next to each other," Ike said, beginning to walk toward the nearby stairwell that led up to the next floor.

Kylie followed next to him.

"I hope I pass," Ike groaned. "This is my first time taking the test."

"Have you been studying?"

"Like crazy. I just don't know if I've been absorbing everything, though."

"Oh, you'll be fine!" she assured him. "You look like you're pretty smart."

"Looks can be deceiving." He laughed somewhat bitterly but his smile was genuine.

Once they got to the top of the stairs, they continued down the hall, arriving at room 212 first. Ike stopped in front of the door, which was left open.

"Meet me out here after and we can catch up with Cole," Ike suggested.

"Sure!" Kylie was so glad and also quite relieved that she had already met such nice people. Maybe her journey wouldn't be so lonely after all. She gave Ike a little wave before hurrying off to her room next door. Ike entered his and saw about twenty desks arranged in neat rows. Name labels were posted on each one to indicate who'd be sitting where.

The room itself didn't look to serve any other function than being a testing room. It looked like a typical classroom, with a desk and computer up front, a whiteboard, and of course, the desks. There was a water fountain at the back and a few wooden cabinets along the wall opposite to the windows.

Ike sat down at the desk meant for him in the front row. He was one of the last ones to come in, but he quickly noticed there was no type of proctor in the room. The desk at the front of the room was empty. A few of the kids looked around confusedly at each other.

After about a minute or so of this apprehensive waiting, footsteps began to echo up the now empty hall outside the room. The steps were soft but deliberate, approaching the doorway. In through the doorway strode a girl, older but probably only by a year or two, with long, loosely curled blonde hair. She was wearing a white sleeveless top with a flowing floral skirt, along with a pair of pink sandals. Matching them was a pink hibiscus in her hair above her right ear. She clutched a stack of papers to her chest. A few of the prospective Trainers gasped when they saw her, but Ike didn't know who she was.

"Sorry for running kinda late," she apologized quickly. "I completely lost track of time."

She dropped the stack of papers on her desk and began to shuffle through them. She looked up and saw one boy had his hand raised in the back of the room.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You… Aren't you…?" He couldn't seem to get his words out, but the blonde chuckled, understanding.

"Yes. It's me, the one and only Angel McBride of the Elite Four."

Everyone, including Ike, gaped at her in amazement.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," Angel chuckled. "You all have an exam to take now. Don't waste your time gawking at me. I was exactly where you all were not too long ago!" She scoffed at herself. "Well not exactly as in, in this exact room. I was actually in the room next door!"

She chuckled at herself and looked down at the printed set of instructions she was given.

"Okay, guys. Today you are going to take the Trainers' Exam and Personality Test. The entire thing is an hour and a half, but if you finish early, I'll won't keep you waiting. When I call your name, please raise your hand and I'll give you your test packet… Ike Karamann?"

Ike raised his hand, not expecting to be at the top of the list. Angel looked up and smiled at him, walking over to his desk and placing a test packet in front of him. She continued on with the rest of the names as Ike pulled a pencil from his backpack and began the test.

Some of the questions were harder than others. What item cures a poisoned Pokémon? Antidote. What berry heals a paralyzed Pokémon? Cheri berry. Which of these pictures is a Pecha berry? Which of these attacks would be most effective against a Sudowoodo? Most of the Berry questions threw Ike off, but he didn't feel too worried about the rest of the problems.

After Angel had finished handing out all the papers, she placed a magnetic timer on the whiteboard and set it to count down from ninety minutes. She then sat into the desk chair and watched them carefully.

"Good luck everyone," she said with a smirk.


	2. Welcome to the Team

A/N: Another chapter written from the past, edited and revised as necessary. Expect the freshly-written chapters to take a bit longer to come out!

* * *

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Team

Forty-five minutes were left on the timer, and Ike was just moving on to the personality portion of the test. There were fifty of them, but lot of the questions seemed pretty corny, like "Which of these colors best describes you?" or "How would you spend a summer day?". Ike half wondered if these inquiries even played a role in determining his Pokémon, but he figured he'd might as well answer all of the questions truthfully regardless.

Finally he bubbled in his last answer choice with eight minutes remaining. That section of the test had gone by surprisingly quickly. But no one else had finished yet, so he felt a little self-conscious when he bashfully raised his hand.

Angel's eyes turned toward him and she smiled gently.

"Yes? Are you done?"

"Um, yeah…" Ike replied, looking down at his desk. A few of the other test-takers glanced over at him, slightly surprised, but the majority seemed too engrossed in the assessment to care. Angel stood up from her chair and moved slowly, almost gracefully, over to his seat. She picked up his test packet and placed it back on top of her desk.

"Okay… So, in just a few minutes, we should be getting the… Oh!" Angel stopped suddenly when a lab intern in a white coat wheeled in a strange gray-colored machine on a cart. "Here it is now. Thank you." The intern nodded and departed without saying a word.

"This machine will scan your answer sheet and print out a receipt." Angel made sure to keep her voice relatively low, still aware of the others who were trying to concentrate. "If you pass, it will give you a code. Take the receipt with the code up to the very top floor pf the building and show it to Professor Hawthorne or one of her assistants. They'll give you a Poké Ball for it. That simple. Understand, hun?"

Ike nodded, but he found it hard to focus on her words…

This was it; this was the moment of truth. Did he pass or fail? Would he have to wait another three months? He felt confident in his test answers, but he had no idea how many correct responses he needed to actually pass.

"Your answer sheet, please?"

With his hand trembling, he gave Angel the scan form, which she fed face-up into the front side of the machine. A dull, electric buzz hummed from the device, then a slip of paper appeared printing out from the top. Angel pulled it out, read it briefly, then smiled.

"Congratulations. You passed."

A wave of intense relief washed over Ike. Angel handed him the paper, then shook his hand.

"Th-Thank you so much," Ike stuttered.

Angel chuckled. "What? Oh, don't thank me. I'm just the proctor. After all, it's because of your hard work that you passed. Now, go get your Pokémon. And who knows? Maybe someday we'll face off against each other."

Ike grinned. "Oh, we definitely will."

Feeling victorious, Ike turned and opened up the classroom door. When he did, he saw quite a few other kids heading toward the stairwell at the end of the hall and upwards. While Ike finished early, since Angel had arrived late, most of the other rooms were already wrapping up the tests. He stepped off to the side in the hall and glanced at his receipt. It read: "KARAMANN, Ike. FI-110110-111010-101010-E." He scrutinized the seemingly random zeroes and ones but had no idea what Pokémon the code could have represented.

"Hey! Ike!"

"Huh?" He looked up to see Kylie walking toward him, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Hey! Looks like you passed!"

Kylie held up her ticket proudly and nodded. "You must've passed too given that look on your face. Congratulations! The suspense is killing me, though. I can't tell what Pokémon this code is supposed to be." Ike leaned forward to read her ticket and it had a similar code: "MORRA, Kylie. NFL-011100-010111-100000-U."

"Hmm, I guess we'll just have to be surprised then," Ike decided with a shrug.

"I suppose so," Kylie agreed. Her gaze shifted past Ike for a moment and she laughed. "Hey, here comes Cole."

Ike spun his head around.

"Guys!" Cole shouted at them. He appeared out of the stairwell and started jogging up the corridor against the flow of people toward the two. "Guess what? I passed! Woo-hoo!"

"Congrats, dude," Ike smiled when Cole finally reached them after having received several bitter remarks from the people he shoved aside. The two friends exchanged high fives.

"What does your ticket say, Cole?" Kylie asked curiously.

"Just some stupid code," he sighed with disappointment. "They love making us wait, don't they?" He flashed his ticket at the two and it read just like the others: "CORWIN, Cole. RDR-011110-101111-111010-T."

"Yes, they do," Ike said. "But now we're making ourselves wait. C'mon, let's get upstairs!" Despite their tremendous excitement, they all walked to the stairwell calmly. But out of nowhere, once they were inside, Cole dashed up the stairs, leaving Ike and Kylie behind and bewildered.

"Don't wait up!" Cole whooped from above them.

Ike frowned, gritting his teeth. "Don't _you_ wait up!" he shouted, running up after Cole.

Kylie shook her head. Nice comeback, she thought. Must've been his competitive spirit flaring up. With a sigh but a happy smile on her face, she quickened her pace up the stairs. One floor, two floors. Finally, she arrived at the fourth and uppermost level. She came out of the stairwell only to find both Ike and Cole off to the side, panting for breath. They both still had their tickets in hand.

"Are… you two okay?" Kylie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah…" Cole sputtered between breaths.

"Just catching our breath…" Ike gasped. "You go on ahead. Ladies first?"

Kylie stared at them a moment and shrugged off their typical boyish behavior. She continued on through a doorway into an open lab area where the crowd of kids from earlier had already gathered. Lab workers rushed here and there, grabbing tickets and handing out Poké Balls, and pleading that the gathered teenagers leave the lab before releasing their Pokémon.

"Hi!" A worker approached Kylie; she seemed to be in a rush. "Can I see your ticket please?"

Kylie handed the woman her ticket, and her eyes scanned over it quickly before she nodded and hurried away into a back room. Not ten seconds later, she reemerged with a minimized Poké Ball in her hand. Smiling softly, she handed it to Kylie along with a peculiar red and rectangular device with a blank screen.

"Here you go, Miss Morra. Please take this Pokédex as well; it will help you on your journey by identifying and offering helpful information on the Pokémon you encounter. It's kind of like an electronic field manual."

Kylie nodded and stared down at the two objects, each in one hand. "Thank you," she said in awe, and the woman left to go help another Trainer. Turning around, Kylie saw Ike and Cole had also entered the room and were being handed minimized Poké Balls and the strange machines called Pokédexes.

"Man… This is pretty exciting. My very own Pokémon!" Ike grinned at his minimized Poké Ball.

Cole was tossing his up and down casually.

"Ike, Kylie!" he called out to his friends, prompting them to come over and join him. The three of them stood in a tight circle, giving quick glances at the Poké Balls and Pokédexes of their companions. There was a small silence, but Cole spoke up again.

"What say we head outside and give our new teammates some fresh air, huh?"

* * *

Outside of Professor Hawthorne's lab, just up the street, was a popular landmark: Brunnen Plaza. The large, circular city center and park was surrounded by commercial buildings and filled with a tasteful array palm trees and other tropical plants all over, though the area itself was very open. In the middle stood a magnificent fountain, made from the same sandstone that the floor was. Its jets sprayed upwards in graceful arcs all year round. Oftentimes, the gentle mist created from the splash and spray produced a rainbow if struck by the light at the right angle. A set of stairs surrounded the edge of the fountain and was often filled with people, sitting and chatting and soaking up the sun.

When the trio arrived here, they looked ready to die of impatience. They glanced around them and found a spot in the plaza away from the fountain that wasn't too crowded, where they'd have sufficient space to call forth their Pokémon. The three of them made their way over there as quickly as they could, and finally, they were ready.

Ike looked at Cole, then at Kylie. With a nod, they all pressed the button on the minimized Poké Balls. They grew from the size of ping pong balls to the size of baseballs in an instant. Ike swallowed hard; he swore he could feel his ball shaking, like whatever was inside was very anxious to come out.

"Ready?" Ike asked. The others nodded. "On three."

"One…" They took a step back.

"Two…" They stepped back again.

"Three!" They all took one more step backwards and they simultaneously tossed their red and white Poké Balls into the air. The seals were broken, the balls opened up, and out poured three columns of energy that then morphed into three very different Pokémon.

In front of Kylie emerged a Pokémon with a small blue body, but big, fluffy white wings that resembled clouds. Two lone feathers stuck up from its head like a cowlick and it had a white beak-like mouth. Its feet were on the ground, but with just a slight flap of its wings, it began to attain some lift. Kylie's Pokédex identified it as a female Swablu.

Before Cole, the light formed into gray-brown colored, bipedal Pokémon that resembled a miniature T-rex. It had a jaw that looked as though it could bite through steel like it were tissue paper. Whitish feathery material ruffled around the nape of its neck. Cole's Pokédex affirmed that the Pokémon was a male Tyrunt.

And, in front of Ike, already having appeared from the light, was an orange quadrupedal Pokémon with black stripe patterns. Its tail, along with the top of its head and chest, were covered with lighter-colored, fluffy fur. Ike got a glimpse of sharp teeth when it yawned its little mouth; they looked like they had just come in. Ike pulled out his Pokédex.

"Growlithe, male, the Puppy Pokémon, known to be extremely loyal to their trainers and diligent to commands. In order to protect its master, it will attempt to scare off enemies with biting and barking."

None of them could believe that the Pokémon that had appeared in front of them were their own… their very own. The three Pokémon stared at the three teenagers who merely gawked back, speechless.

Kylie was the first to make a move.

"Oh, you're just adorable!" She nearly squealed. The Swablu chirped happily and flapped its wings again, this time fluttering up to and around Kylie's head. The Tyrnut, in turn, opened its big mouth and attempted to roar, but only a small, squeaky sound escaped. It dashed forward and Cole crouched down to pick it up.

"Look at this little beast!" he laughed. "I love him!"

Ike had also squatted down and was holding out his hand tentatively to the Growlithe that hadn't moved an inch. It looked at him suspiciously and leaned its head forward slightly and sniffed around Ike's hand.

"Come here, little guy," Ike coaxed.

The Growlithe continued to hesitate, staring Ike in the eyes.

Ike frowned and wondered why it was being so reluctant to approach him. He took another step forward, which caused the Growlithe to take a defensive stance. A snarl formed on its lips and it growled slightly. This caused Kylie and Cole to stop admiring their Pokémon and focus on what was happening with Ike's.

"Ike, what's wrong?" Kylie asked.

Ike stood up and brushed himself off.

"I don't know!" he replied. "He won't let me get close… The Pokédex said they're supposed to be loyal to their Trainers, but he just growled at me!"

"Maybe you gotta earn his loyalty," Cole suggested, placing his Tyrunt on the ground again.

"Well, how the hell am I supposed to do that?" he asked, feeling helpless.

"Having some trouble?"

The three teens stopped what they were doing and turned to see a blonde woman approaching them, a tropical flower above her ear. She was smiling, but concerned flashed in her eyes as she looked at Ike's Growlithe.

"Angel…" Ike muttered.

"Angel?" Cole asked, looking at Ike, then at the woman. "You mean _the_ Angel? From the Elite Four? Whoa! She's so much, er… prettier than I Imagined! I mean… Wait, I—I…" His cheeks flushed red. He forced himself to shut up and looked away.

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Oh boy."

Angel snickered at Cole but returned her attention to the Trainer whose exam she had just proctored. "I see you got a Growlithe," Angel observed. "But he doesn't seem to be very… well, trusting of you yet."

Ike nodded, feeling a little embarrassed in front of someone with such mastery of training. But Angel only shrugged.

"It's understandable. Some Pokémon just aren't very accepting by nature." She reached into a white tote bag that hung from her shoulder and produced a Poké Ball. "I ran into a similar problem too, not too long ago."

She tossed the ball up and called forth a large, black dog-like Pokémon with horns protruding from its head.

"A Houndoom!" Kylie gasped.

"His name is Scottie." She reached down and petted him lightly on the head. Scottie shut his eyes affectionately and nuzzled her palm. "I met him when he was just a little Houndour. He was like your Growlithe, not wanting to open himself up to me. He didn't listen to anything I said. It was really quite frustrating, actually. I began to think he was untrainable until one day when I was facing off against a girl named Hayley. She had always been a fan of Ice-type Pokémon and was much stronger than I was. Scottie was the last one left on my team, so when I brought him out, I told him how much I trusted him and how I believed he could win the battle. And… I don't know. Something must've sparked in him. He looked at me like he finally understood something, and then began to listen to me. He was strong too! Thanks to him we beat Hayley." She leaned down toward Scottie. "Isn't that right?" Scottie yapped happily.

"Since then," she continued, "Scottie has been an irreplaceable asset on my team. Hayley, the good sport that she was, must not have let the loss get to her, because she's a Gym Leader now. So always remember a loss isn't the end of the world for a Trainer."

"Wait, so that's all it took?" Ike asked, looking amazed by her story. "You just told him you believed in him?"

"Well… yeah," Angel answered. "But it took some time for that to happen, of course. I'm not saying it'll be the exact same for you, though. Just sharing some information I thought might help you. After all, without a real bond with your Pokémon, well… You're missing the most important component of training!"

Ike's Growlithe approached Scottie slowly, who grunted at the small Pokémon. The Growlithe yipped back in its squeaky voice and looked back at Ike with a wag of his fluffy tail.

"By the way, have you all named your Pokémon?" Angel asked, now addressing all three of them. "That's like step number one on forming that bond with your Pokémon, though not everyone does it."

"I'm naming my Swablu… Skyla. Because her wings remind me of clouds in the sky, of course." Kylie smiled and giggled as Skyla chirped excitedly and perched herself on her shoulder. "Skyla and Kylie!"

"And I think my Tyrunt will be going by Dyno. Sounds like dinosaur but spelled like dynamite, because this Tyrunt is gonna be explosive!" Dyno let out a little roar and jumped with joy—or at least it tried. It didn't get very high off the ground considering its rather stubby legs.

Ike looked down at his Growlithe, still uncomfortable with the fact that it may not like him. Maybe giving him a name would be the first step in forming a bond…

"I kinda like the name… Ravi." At this, the Growlithe's ears twitched and it turned slowly to face its Trainer. "You like that name?" Ravi took a few steps toward Ike, who began to reach his hand out again. This time, Ike's hand reached the tuft of fur on Ravi's head, which was warm to the touch.

"See? There you go!" Angel beamed at him.

"Skyla, Dyno, and Ravi…" Cole mulled the names over. "I'd say we have some quality Pokémon!"

"That you do," Angel agreed. She held out her Poké Ball and a beam of red light shot out to enveloped Scottie, returning him inside. "And your teams will only get stronger from here on out…" She paused, shut her eyes, and brought her hand to her chest. "I'm almost envious of you—a clean slate, a fresh start." She opened her eyes again. "I truly hope to battle you all in the future."

"I already told you I would," Ike replied confidently.

"I hope so too," Kylie added politely while rubbing Skyla's beak with her finger.

"Yeah…" Cole grinned coyly at the blonde woman. "I bet beating you in battle would get you pretty impressed with me, huh?"

Ike and Kylie turned to their friend, who tried to keep his cool in front of Angel. She snickered and flipped her hair as if teasing him.

"That would be impressive indeed," she answered. "But it'll be a while before you can even think about taking me on, sweetie. Hopefully you won't take too long to catch up, though." Cole's face was now bright red after this. "Anyway," Angel sighed. "I really should be getting back to the League. World doesn't stop turning for any of us. See you all soon!"

They all said their goodbyes and Angel took off into the city, undoubtedly bound for Caylan Key, the island that housed the capital city and the Pokémon League.

Only when the Elite Four member was gone did the blush fade from Cole's cheeks. Dyno looked up at his Trainer, not understanding his quirky behavior.

"Flirting with someone in the big leagues, huh?" Ike teased.

"More like flirting with disaster," Kylie scoffed.

"Shut up, guys. She said she'd be impressed… maybe even impressed enough to accept a date invitation?"

"She did say you had to beat her though," Kylie chimed in. "And she's one of the toughest Trainers in Palmetto."

"Whatever." Cole crossed his arms and turned around, acting a lot more upset than he actually was. Dyno cocked his big head and nudged at his leg, causing him to turn back around.

"Oh, I'm not mad at you, Dyno. You're gonna get big and strong and win me a date with Angel!"

"Well then why don't we get started on that right away?" Kylie stretched her arms above her head, a smirk forming very gradually on her lips. "Cole, I officially challenge you to a battle." Cole's arms slowly uncrossed and instead settled on his hips. He returned the smirk toward Kylie.

"Is that right?" he asked. "You sure you wanna get yourself into this?"

"Stop stalling," Kylie badgered him. "Man up and fight!"

Ike looked at Kylie in surprise. It was almost comical to see this side of her, but he could tell she was only taunting Cole. Ike had backed up a few steps to give the two some space, and Ravi had followed without Ike having to say anything. The Puppy Pokémon sat by his side casually, as if to remind Ike that he was doing so of his own accord and not from obeying a command.

"Oh, it's _on_." Cole hadn't flinched one bit. "Dyno!" The Tyrunt perked up, and Cole pointed at Skyla. "Meet your first opponent." Dyno showed off his big teeth and glared at the Swablu.

"Okay, Skyla," Kylie crooned to the Pokémon still perched on her shoulder. "Make me proud and take down that pint-sized Dyno! He puts the runt in Tyrunt!"

"Enough with the trash talking," Ike called out from the side.

Kylie grinned and waved him off. "I'm just firing him up, Ike. It's okay." She turned to Cole and saw he was definitely ready for the battle.

"Ike, would you mind bein' the ref for this match?" Cole asked, though his eyes remained fixed on his opponent. His rarely-seen cutthroat nature forged from playing years of sports was beginning to burn in his glare.

"No problem," Ike replied. "Ready?" He held up his hand like the officials he had seen on television.

"Begin!"

"Skyla, use Peck!"

The Swablu jumped off Kylie's shoulder and flew into the sky then began to dive down toward Dyno. Before Cole could react, Skyla's beak snapped Dyno on the top of the head.

"Nice job!"

Cole clenched his fists.

"Dyno! Tackle her!" The Tyrunt dashed forward while Skyla was still flying low after the attack. Dyno managed a little jump and landed on top of her, sending them both sprawling to the ground. Skyla struggled underneath Dyno's weight but managed to free her wings before taking flight again.

"Okay, try using Sing!"

Taking another circle through the air, the Swablu opened its mouth and began to chirp rhythmically. Dyno began to look dazed, but Skyla didn't seem to pull of the move completely perfectly, so Dyno remained conscious but vulnerable.

Kylie stepped forward with confidence.

"While he's dazed, Skyla! Finish him off with Astonish!"

Skyla began to charge up her attack. Cole looked so tightly strung that he was about to jump out of his skin.

"Rrrrgh, no!" he growled. "Dyno! Snap out of it! C'mon!"

Skyla began to dive down.

"Dyno, hustle! Use Roar, now!"

At the last moment, Dyno came to attention and jumped back out of Skyla's way. It opened its mouth and let out a roar. Even despite his small size, the roar was so powerful that it surprised even Cole. The Swablu, startled, immediately flew back to Kylie, landed on her shoulder and cowered.

"Skyla! Are you okay?"

The Swablu whimpered a little bit, indicating that it was indeed fine but no longer wanted to fight.

Ike nodded.

"Skyla has gone back to Kylie, forfeiting the match."

"So I win?" Cole asked with a huge grin plastered on her face. "Yeah, awesome! C'mere, buddy!" Dyno ran back to him and Cole got on one knee to give him a big hug. Kylie, meanwhile, stroked Skyla's wing until she showed her face again timidly.

"Aw, it's okay," she whispered to her. "That was a cheap shot." She turned to Cole and nodded. "Good match, though. Looks like you really could beat me. Sorry for the trash talking."

"It's all good," Cole replied, standing up. "I know you were just foolin' around. You'll get stronger though, so don't think we'll start slacking!"

Ravi barked enthusiastically to congratulate Dyno. Hands trembling slightly, Ike exhaled loudly. The entire battle had been a thrill for Ike, and he was only watching. But he looked down to Ravi and frowned; he wouldn't be doing any battles if Ravi wouldn't obey… What was he to do?


End file.
